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2021 was an eventful year for WWE. Vince McMahon's promotion witnessed the rise of some young superstars, the fall of a champion, and a host of memorable rivalries.
Talking about the rise of young superstars, Bianca Belair won the Women's Royal Rumble and dethroned Sasha Banks to become the SmackDown Women's Champion at WrestleMania 37.
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Similarly, the rise of Rhea Ripley was worth every praise when she beat Asuka at WrestleMania 37 to earn her maiden RAW Women's Championship. More recently, the way Liv Morgan has soared on RAW has been commendable. Morgan will face Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship at WWE Day 1.
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Drew McIntyre's fall as WWE Champion was one of the talking points of 2021. The Scottish Warrior started the year as champion, lost the title to The Miz, who was eventually beaten by Bobby Lashley. Since then, McIntyre spiraled downwards as 2021 drew to a close.
WWE has witnessed a host of epic rivalries this year, with the likes of RK-Bro vs. AJ Styles & Omos, Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley, and the trilogy between Edge and Seth Rollins.
With so much happening in WWE this year, let's look at the five major takeaways from WWE in 2021:
#5. Reigning RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro carved a success story in 2021
To see Randy Orton become a babyface and perform as a tag team player in 2021 was refreshing.
The formation of RK-Bro in April bolstered the tag team division as Orton and Riddle soared to unparalleled heights. They earned decisive victories over The Hurt Business, Elias & Jaxson Ryker, as well as AJ Styles & Omos.
At SummerSlam 2021, they beat Styles and Omos to become the RAW Tag Team Champions and haven't looked back since. They've had successful title defenses against the same team as well as The Dirty Dawgs.
The in-ring chemistry that Orton and Riddle have showcased is worth every praise as the team looks to defend their titles against The Street Profits at WWE Day 1.
#4. Becky Lynch hasn't missed a beat since her return from maternity leave at SummerSlam 2021
Reigning RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch had a tremendous 2021 ever since her return at SummerSlam earlier this year.
At SummerSlam 2021, The Man beat SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair within seconds. She then successfully defended the gold at Extreme Rules 2021 against The EST thanks to interference by Sasha Banks. The three women subsequently competed in a Triple Threat Match for the title at Crown Jewel 2021, where Becky retained.
Post WWE Draft, Lynch moved to RAW and exchanged her title with Charlotte Flair, the red brand's Women's Champion, as the latter came to SmackDown. The two competed at Survivor Series 2021 in a Champion vs. Champion Match, where Big Time Becks prevailed again.
Lynch is currently in a feud with Liv Morgan, who she will face at WWE Day 1. Becky will hope to conquer Liv as she looks to continue her dominant run into 2022.
#3. Brock Lesnar's return as a babyface was a breath of fresh air in 2021
One has always associated Brock Lesnar with having a dominant heel persona.
That changed at SummerSlam 2021 when The Beast Incarnate made his return as a babyface. Brock's new look and persona was a breath of fresh air, as he began a feud with Roman Reigns.
This 180 shift, which saw heel Roman battle babyface Lesnar, was intriguing. The Beast came up short against the Universal Champion at Crown Jewel 2021 but has another shot at the title at WWE Day 1.
Brock as a babyface champion could be interesting in 2022.
#2. WWE Hall of Famer Edge showed he's still a force to be reckoned with in 2021
In his late 40s, WWE Hall of Famer Edge showed why he's still a force to be reckoned with in 2021.
The Rated R Superstar started the year on a positive note by winning the Men's Royal Rumble. He then locked horns with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 37 for the Universal title. Edge, despite putting in a valiant effort, came up short but did not surrender. He again challenged the champion at Money in the Bank 2021 but lost due to interference from Seth Rollins.
This put the biggest rivalry of 2021 into motion as Edge and Seth Rollins locked horns in a battle trilogy. The Rated R Superstar prevailed in the first contest, with The Visionary coming back in the second. The final match was decided at Crown Jewel 2021 as Edge used all his experience to overcome Rollins.
With this win, Edge demonstrated why he's still among the very best. He will now face The Miz at WWE Day 1.
#1. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been at his very best throughout 2021
No WWE Superstar has been as dominant as Roman Reigns in 2021.
The reigning Universal Champion put countless opponents to rest since his return at SummerSlam 2020. Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Edge, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Brock Lesnar, and Big E have been conquered by The Tribal Chief.
His Universal Title reign stands at 487 days and counting. What's been even more impressive than his in-ring domination is his heel persona. Roman played the Head of the Table character with ease throughout 2021, which has been well received by fans.
As 2022 beckons, The Tribal Chief will lock horns with Brock Lesnar at WWE Day 1 for the Universal title. Let's see if Roman can conquer Lesnar again to kickstart 2022.
